The Osceola times., 1887-07-09
back. The wounded man fell head.

who had struck the blow. examine
his victim with the aid of the lantern.
Then he drew the knife from the
wound, and going to the end of the
barn, close to where Jean lay, he thrust
the weapon into hole by the side of
the tamb of window. Jean distinctly
heard the knife rattle as it dropped a
considerable distance. Then the man
returned to the body of Monsieur Ton
tay and examined it once more.
"He is dead, he said. land our diff
Guilty is over sooner than anticipated. ="
Then the man and woman quilted
the placeh having first extinguished the
lantern, which they left upon the floor.
Jean, summoning all his courage,
arose. moved round the spot where he
knew the murdered man lay
and so got to the door. Then he made
his escape, and by daylight was twenty
miles away toward Troyes.
Monsieur Tontay inherited hand
some property near La Fere, from his
father. whose only child he was. He
married early. but his choice was not
wise one, for, after the couple had
lived together two years, Madame Ton
tay eloped with Monsieur Jarente, who
was old enough to be her father.
and had wife and family to boot The
pair went to reside on an estate owned
by Jarente at Lussac, in Poitou, and
Madame Jarente and her family con-
tinued to live at Villenare, few miles
from La Fere.
After lapse of some years, Monsieur
Tontay brought to his home niece,
Marguerite Tontay. He virtually
adopted her and educated her as
though she had been his own child.
When she attained womanhood his
chagrin and disappointment may be
imagined when he discovered that she
was receiving in secret the attentions
of Louis Jarente, the son of the man
who had wrought him an irreparable
wrong.
Expostulations and threats were
alike vain to prevent the meeting of
the lovers, and finally Monsieur Ton
tay assured Marguerite that in case of
her continued disobedience she should
never inherit sou of his property.
For time she simulated compliance
with her uncle's wishes and professed
TO have broken of her relations with
Louis Jarente.
Her uncle, however, Unexpectedly
discovered that she was only deceiving
him, and he secretly began negotia-
tions for the sale of his estate. in
tending to quit the neighborhood and
remove to Paris to reside in the family
of younger sister.
Monsieur Tontay had consulted Ger
vais, a notary of La Fere, who had pro-
cured a purchaser for the estate, and
the deeds were in course of preparation.
1t happened that Frederic Gervais,
the notary's son, came from Paris on n
visit to his father. and was thrown into
the society of Louis Jarente. They
became intimate, and Louis communi-
Gated to Frederic his relations with
Monsieur Tontay.
One day Frederic. in his father 5
temporary absence, saw the deeds in
preparation for the sale of Monsieur
Tontay's property, aud communicated
the fact to Louis. The latter at once
concluded that Monsieur Tontay's OBJ
ject was To disinherit Marguerite. and
he speedily communicated to her his
suspicious.
The situation was urgent. Louis
was poor; but if Marguerite was to in
herit her uncle's property she would
be wealthy. 1t did not take long for
Louis to convince Marguerite that il
was absolutely necessary that some.
thing should be done at once TO pre-
vent the impending ruin that threat
ened both. Only one thing could pre-
vent 1.-THE removal, and that speedily
of Mons. Tontay.
Finally, on the morning of Angus
Is. 1857, Mons. Tontay told Marguerite
that he was selling his property anc
was about TO remove to Paris, and tina
he would make her an allowance %
three thousand francs n year, and she
might choose hcr own residence. H.
upbraided her with her deception ant
ingratitude, and declared that h,
would do nothing for her beyond wha
he had said.
The same day Marguerite met Louis
and she was on her way home whei
they overlook Jean Savart. The ap
peafancc of the dog notified them o
the fact that Monsieur Tontay must b'
outside the grounds, and hence the hur
ried parting to meet again at latel
hour
At that second meeting the death o
Monsieur Tontay was agreed upon. ant
poison was to be the means by which
he was to be removed. They retired
to the barn. where they had frequently
met before, and with what happened
there the reader is already acquainted
When Monsieur Tontay was found
murdered in the barn next morning the
greatest CONSERVATION prevailed in the
ncighborhood. Such crime had never
been known there within the memory
of the oldest inhabitant
Marie Petel. the cook, testified thai
the night before her master came to hel
and said'that hc had put a miserable
trnunn into the hnrn 10 sleen. and bad.